The DEN-NYK-(and maybe MIN) Trade I Expect on Dec 15th

[shrink]

DEN OUT: Melo + Chris Anderson
DEN IN: Gallinari + UTA 1st + Curry + $7 mil in cap savings + $3 mil in cash

NYK OUT: Gallinari + Randolph + Roger Mason + Curry + cash
NYK IN: Melo + Chris Anderson

MIN OUT: $3.3 mil Cap Space + UTA 1st
MIN IN: Randolph + Roger Mason + $1.4 mil cash

WHY FOR DEN? If NYK is the only place Melo will extend, this is the best offer they are going to get from anyone. Gallinari is the decent prospect that they show fans at the SF, and they can point to a pick as well. However, the biggest prize is removing $7 mil from payroll, saving them $14 million dollars.

WHY FOR NYK? The 15-6 Knicks keep their best prospects and upgrade for this season rather than wait until next. The reason we haven't seen Melo move yet is that Roger Mason can't be dealt until Dec 15th, since he was a free agent.

Felton
Chandler/Fields
Azubuike
Melo/Chris Anderson
Amare/Turiaf

WHY FOR MIN? They get a high-upside prospect for a late 1st and $3.3 mil in cap space

[prefuse73]

I don't mind it. I think randolph will get some minutes to prove himself while tolliver is out and if nothing works, we only lose a utah 1st which we really don't need (unless you think we could package it to move up in the draft). A little bit of a log jam at SG however...

Darko - Love - Pekovic - Koufos
Love - Randolph
Beasley - Johnson
Johnson - Webster - Brewer - Mason - Ellington
Flynn - Ridnour

[Foye]

Wouldn't the Nuggets be dumb to pass on Randolph for that Utah 1st?

I know they want to reduce their payroll and get out of the luxury tax. But considering they're going the rebuilding mode if they lose Carmelo wouldn't it make more sense to acquire Anthony Randolph?
Dude is probably far more talented than anyone available with the Utah pick and it might be possible to reduce their payroll otherwise. They might find a taker for Nene. Toronto could be interested in Nene with their TPE.
Signing Harrington really hurts them. That was a dumbass move.

[cpfsf]

I really hate how the Knicks are the front runners (if not the only runners) in the Anthony sweepstakes. On the other hand, I really want Anthony in the Eastern Conference.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[Peezo]

If we take on two players who is out? Lazar to D-League and Gaines waived?

[moss_is_1]

I'm all for it. Randolph would at worst be what Tolliver was until he's back. Athletic big man to play defense, pass the ball and block shots. Tolliver fits in really nice next to Love and could play around 3 spots here.

SF-Beas
Pf-Love
C-Randolph

SF-Randolph
PF-Love
C-Darko

SF-Beas
PF-Randolph
C-Darko

Those lineups all look nice to me.

[The J Rocka]

Always great to have depth, especially with our young roster. Injuries & foul trouble seem to happen a lot with us, so opportunity for minutes is there. Bring him in.

[gensu3k1]

Great thing about this deal is it gives Rambis a new excuse to bench Love.

[shangrila]

Finally, phase 3 of our plan would be complete.

Phase 1: Suck the meniscus out of Roy's knee and Nancy Kerrigan Oden - Check
Phase 2: Move Jefferson to Utah, changing their culture from defence to inefficient offence - Check
Phase 3: Tell everyone Anthony only wants to go to the Knicks so they get a crap return and their team sucks forever - Incomplete
Phase 4: ???Oklahoma??? - Incomplete
Phase 5: CHAMPIONSHIP - In Progress

You all thought Kahn's plan had something to do with Rubio? HAH! He's way too clever for that.

[Dewey]

Randolph is an average at best defender, but he does have the athleticism to block some shots and get up and down the floor ... who knows what oher issues have forced him to the bench. I think it's safe to assume he has a "deserve vs. earn" mindset problem - Darko may be the perfect guy to get him out of the funk.

I'd do this trade, but it's merely an opportunity to get a look at him while Tolliver is out ... then we can get a feel if he has any complimentary effects.

[shrink]

If we take on two players who is out? Lazar to D-League and Gaines waived?

I wondered about this too. Gaines and his unguaranteed contract is gone for sure. But the other guy is harder.

Even if we send Hayward to the D-League, he still counts against out 15-man roster max. We'd have to have another trade in place to move a player. Perhaps Hayward or Brewer for a future 1st and cash?

[The J Rocka]

Do we have to have Mason come here in order for the trade to work?

[the_bruce]

Now just combine this trade with one of the 10 billion Iggy ones and the season is complete?

Eyeballing it I think this works:
DEN OUT: Melo + Chris Anderson
DEN IN: Gallinari + UTA 1st + Curry + $7 mil in cap savings + $3 mil in cash

NYK OUT: Gallinari + Randolph + Roger Mason + Curry + cash
NYK IN: Melo + Chris Anderson

MIN OUT: $3.3 mil Cap Space + UTA 1st
MIN IN: Randolph + Roger Mason + $1.4 mil cash

PHI IN: Ridnour + Brewer + Kosta + MEM 1st
PHI OUT: Nocioni + Iggy

Darko/Pek
Love/Randolph/Tolliver
Beasely/Webster/Noci
Iggy/Wes
Flynn/Bassy/(Rubio)

Frees up 15m in cap space for phi next year and a decent TPE.

MN swaps for the more expensive Noci over Ridnour. Noci has less years. Who cares?

[shrink]

Do we have to have Mason come here in order for the trade to work?

Yes. And it was perhaps an oversight in the last Collective Bargaining Agreement that led to this.

When the NBA looked to correct problems at the time of the last CBA, one thing they didn't like the abuse of the Injured Reserve. There was no verification, and a few teams often went over the roster max by stashing a player or two on the IR with a phantom injury.

In the latest CBA, they did away with the Injured Reserve, but it had an unintentional consequence when it came to trading. In the past when a team wanted to do a trade like this, players could be stashed temporarily on the Injured Reserve list, allowing teams to go over their 15 man roster max. For example, we could put Darko on the IR with anything (back spasms and knee tendinitis were common), and after Mason was acquired, we could waive him, and Darko would miraculously recover for the next game.

Hopefully the next CBA will allow for a team to temporarily go over roster-limits to complete trades, but for now, we'd have to find another trade to move another one of our players.

[Fire Mchale]

If we take on two players who is out? Lazar to D-League and Gaines waived?

I wondered about this too. Gaines and his unguaranteed contract is gone for sure. But the other guy is harder.

Even if we send Hayward to the D-League, he still counts against out 15-man roster max. We'd have to have another trade in place to move a player. Perhaps Hayward or Brewer for a future 1st and cash?

The timing might actually work out well to see about moving Telfair for a pick. Probably nothing better than a 2nd, but with Flynn possibly returning on Tuesday, we have no reason to keep three veteran PGs on our roster. I'd rather deal Telfair than waive Gaines. I suppose it's possible to package Hayward in that deal, but I'm not sure who the taker would be.

Brewer is probably the next most likely player to get moved, but I almost feel like it's too early in the year to make a deal with him that's anything more than a player dump for a protected pick.

As it is, I don't see any risk in that deal and would love a 6-week peek at what Randolph can do playing 20 minutes a game.

[shrink]

The timing might actually work out well to see about moving Telfair for a pick. Probably nothing better than a 2nd, but with Flynn possibly returning on Tuesday, we have no reason to keep three veteran PGs on our roster. I'd rather deal Telfair than waive Gaines. I suppose it's possible to package Hayward in that deal, but I'm not sure who the taker would be.

Brewer is probably the next most likely player to get moved, but I almost feel like it's too early in the year to make a deal with him that's anything more than a player dump for a protected pick.

As it is, I don't see any risk in that deal and would love a 6-week peek at what Randolph can do playing 20 minutes a game.

If we take in two players, it will be Gaines +1. On the trade board, I just read a trade that had a variation that might work:

DEN OUT: Melo + Chris Anderson
DEN IN: Gallinari + UTA 1st + Curry + $7 mil in cap savings + $3 mil in cash

NYK OUT: Gallinari + Randolph + Azubuike + Curry + cash
NYK IN: Melo + Chris Anderson + Telfair

MIN OUT: $2.6 mil Cap Space + UTA 1st + Telfair
MIN IN: Randolph + Azubuike + $3 mil cash

NYK really could use a back-up PG, that has a little experience and is an expiring. It helps get us to a 15-man roster, with Flynn due back soon.

[Fire Mchale]

If we take in two players, it will be Gaines +1. On the trade board, I just read a trade that had a variation that might work:

DEN OUT: Melo + Chris Anderson
DEN IN: Gallinari + UTA 1st + Curry + $7 mil in cap savings + $3 mil in cash

NYK OUT: Gallinari + Randolph + Azubuike + Curry + cash
NYK IN: Melo + Chris Anderson + Telfair

MIN OUT: $2.6 mil Cap Space + UTA 1st + Telfair
MIN IN: Randolph + Azubuike + $3 mil cash

NYK really could use a back-up PG, that has a little experience and is an expiring. It helps get us to a 15-man roster, with Flynn due back soon.

I would jump on that as fast as I could. Not sure how realistic it is, but the Wolves are natural facilitators and we do have some asssets that might appeal to Denver. If you told me that we could get a look at Randolph and Azubuike for Telfair and the Utah pick, I would trip all over myself to make it happen. I realize that Azubuike is further overkill at our already overflowing lineup at the 2 and 3, but he's a guy I'd like to keep around.

[shrink]

Yep, but unfortunately Azubuike hurt his patellar tendon last month, and he's expected to miss up to five months. Since he's on an expiring contract, he'd probably have little value, unless we planned on giving him a new contract next year. If it would provide additional incentive to the Knicks, I'd agree to release him, and if he heals up, he might be able to be re-signed by them in time for a play-off run, but I think that's asking a lot, even of a tough kid like Azubuike.

[magnumt]

Yep, but unfortunately Azubuike hurt his patellar tendon last month, and he's expected to miss up to five months. Since he's on an expiring contract, he'd probably have little value, unless we planned on giving him a new contract next year. If it would provide additional incentive to the Knicks, I'd agree to release him, and if he heals up, he might be able to be re-signed by them in time for a play-off run, but I think that's asking a lot, even of a tough kid like Azubuike.

If he doesn't suit up by Jan 6th, Buke's Contract is 80% paid by Insurance. On a similar note, Curry's Contract is already 60% Paid by the Knicks, so a Team would only have to pay 40% of the remaining money.

But I agree, Minny and/or Memphis may help directly or indirectly facilitate a Melo to NY Trade. I originally though awhile ago it might be Sacramento or Philly.

Houston could also be a darkhorse with a direct small Player+1st for AR.

--Mags

[younggunsmn]

That's just a horrible return for Denver. If Randolph goes anywhere it will probably be to Houston for NY's 2012 1st back, which has to be worlds more appealing than Utah's 2011 pick in a horribly weak draft.